A ssireum coach who hit a middle school athlete on the head with a shovel was expelled, the harshest disciplinary action.
Korea Ssireum Association said on the 28th that it had expelled a coach at a middle school in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province, who caused public outrage over a shovel assault on a middle school ssireum team member.
According to the association, the North Gyeongsang Ssireum Association sports fairness committee decided the previous day to expel coach A, the harshest disciplinary measure, after its review.
On June 5, A struck the head of a second-year student with a shovel at the school's ssireum training ground.
Because the coach and the student did not disclose the assault externally, the matter was not known for about two months, but the violence was revealed when the student's father found the student attempting an extreme act on the 28th of last month.
The school, which learned of the situation belatedly, reported the coach to the police on charges of child abuse.
On the 14th, the association posted an apology in the name of the Korea Ssireum Association president, and on the 21st it conducted violence eradication and prevention education for coaches and tournament officials who attended the 17th Gurye National Women's Chunha Jangsa and University Jangsa Ssireum Tournament.
The Korea Ssireum Association apologized, saying it has operated various programs such as in-person training sessions each year to improve sports human rights and online education when registering athletes, striving to prevent violence and sexual violence in sports, and it is truly sorry that an unfortunate incident occurred in a school training ground.
It added that it will reorganize institutional measures to protect the rights and interests of student athletes and become ssireum that everyone can love and enjoy.
The association will hold special training on "violence eradication and prevention activities" and a ssireum pledge rally for ssireum coaches nationwide on Sept. 3.
It also said it plans to provide separate department-level education for coaches participating in the 1st Samcheok Isabu Janggun Cup National Jangsa Ssireum Tournament to be held Sept. 14-20.